ISED RSS-210

RSS-210 — Licence-Exempt Radio Apparatus: Category I Equipment is an Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Radio Standards Specification. It sets certification requirements for several types of licence-exempt radio apparatus that are not addressed by a more specific radio standard.

The current edition is RSS-210 Issue 11, published on June 25, 2024. It is applied together with RSS-Gen, which contains general requirements for radio apparatus, and with any other ISED standard referenced for the product.

Scope and Applications

RSS-210 covers a range of Category I devices and applications defined in its annexes. Examples include:

• remote-control and keyless-entry devices;

• alarm systems, wireless switches and sensors;

• certain RFID and telemetry applications; and

• other short-range radio devices assigned to the bands and conditions specified in the standard.

Products covered by a dedicated standard follow that standard instead. For example, certain broadband data transmission systems are addressed by RSS-247, while certification-exempt Category II equipment may fall under RSS-310.

Frequency Bands and Technical Requirements

Permitted bands, applications and limits are defined separately in the relevant annex. Verified examples include remote-control operation in 26.991–27.259 MHz, RFID operation in 433.5–434.5 MHz and applications in the 902–928 MHz band. These examples do not represent the complete scope of RSS-210.

Depending on the device category and annex, requirements may address:

• permitted frequencies and occupied bandwidth;

• field-strength or output-power limits;

• unwanted emissions and restricted bands;

• channel access, duty cycle or operational restrictions; and

• measurement methods and test configurations.

Limits and measurement quantities must therefore be determined from the applicable section rather than inferred from a general list of bands or modulation types.

Certification and Compliance

Equipment within the scope of RSS-210 is Category I radio apparatus and requires ISED certification. Certification applications are reviewed by an ISED-recognized Certification Body (CB).

The test program must cover the requirements applicable to the device and its operating modes. The resulting technical evidence supports certification, while RSS-Gen provides general provisions for matters such as labelling, user information and test-report content.

Product Lifecycle

• Classification: Identify the applicable RSS-210 annex and any additional ISED standards before testing.

• Testing and certification: Assess the final radio configuration and submit the required evidence through a recognized CB.

• Changes: Hardware, firmware, antenna or enclosure changes must be evaluated for their effect on the certified configuration.

• Standards monitoring: Confirm the applicable issue and transition provisions throughout the product lifecycle.